Why am I doing this?  I am not particularly tech savvy.  And I have more than enough things to do with my time. So why am I taking the time to start a blog?

I suppose another question might be: Who am I doing this for?  Both questions are probably pertinent.

1.  To Communicate with Others. 

Blogging will give me an opportunity to communicate with other people.  Who are these people I expect to converse with?  It may be a diverse group.  In my mind’s eye I see several groups of people:

The Church I Pastor 

I have been given the privilege of serving the Body of Christ as a pastor.  And I recently made a transition, moving from a church in Pittsburgh to Walnut Hill Presbyterian Church in Bristol, Tennessee.

My hope is that posting will provide the people Walnut Hill an opportunity to get to know me – my interests, passions, and personality.  At the very least they’ll get to know how my mind works…

My hope is also that blogging will be an avenue through which I can exercise the teaching aspect of my ministry.  It can be a supplement to my pulpit ministry and other teaching opportunities. And because blogging is not a one-sided medium, it can provide a forum to discuss issues that time may not permit in those other, more structured, venues.

Partners in Ministry 

This group may include a vast spectrum, ranging from other pastors to missionaries & parachurch ministers, to anyone else engaged in advancing Christ’s Kingdom.

I am not so arrogant as to assume that whatever I have to say will be a significant treasure.  But I do have a lot of friends who fall into this category.  And I know there is joy in a shared journey. My experiences and thoughts may simply encourage others in their lives & ministries… and, of course, if along the way there are at least occasional tidbits of insight or wisdom, so much the better.

People in Past Ministries (i.e. Old Friends) 

I have had the privilege of serving in churches & ministries in Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.  In all of these places we have made some great friends.  I suspect that our friends from those past ministries (and perhaps some “not-so-friendlies”) will pop in to see what is going on…

Passers-by 

I suppose it is also possible that some people will stumble across this blog by accident, or when looking for something else.  Hopefully they will find something useful, and from time to time check back.

2.  To Express Myself 

In a very real sense I am keeping this blog as an outlet for personal expression.  In that sense, as I begin this, I am not certain if it really matters if anyone else ever reads what I post.  Blogging gives me the opportunity to work through and catalog things that interest me, to try to cultivate creativity, and simply to express myself much like as if I kept a journal in a notebook.  (Though I still hope there will be some things posted that are occasionally of interest and/or value to others.)

3. To Honor God 

Since my primary purpose in life is to glorify God by enjoying Him, my hope is that this blog will honor Him.  My life is inseparably linked to this purpose. No facet of my life is outside this scope.  Whatever I do, whatever interests I have, this purpose should always be in view.

Hopefully, not only will the posts themselves honor God but, the accumulated works should be a tangible chronicle of my own life’s journey – one that I pray and trust will have a demonstrable growth in knowledge, progress in maturity and increase of sensitivity to God and His Kingdom. These will be a testimony of His grace at work in my life.